Society's Child: My Autobiography (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: fly too high, New York, Los Angeles, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Casual music-scene observers may see Ian and her remarkable music surfacing every decade or so, usually winning a handful of Grammy nominations. There’s a life between recording sessions, of course, that Ian describes with brutal honesty. An unusually intelligent child, she began writing songs very early, adored folk and protest singers Odetta and Joan Baez, but knew she didn’t look like or sound like them. Her idol, Baez, was tall and svelte; she was short and stocky, with stubborn, curly hair. Yet her 1966 hit “Society’s Child,” about interracial romance, brought her role-models’ kind of fame at 15, including hate mail and death threats. Less than a decade later, “At Seventeen,” an homage to outsiders and misfits, brought further fame while, offstage, she endured an abusive marriage, came out as lesbian, had IRS trouble, and battled chronic fatigue syndrome and other debilitating illnesses. Songwriting has been her way to express inner turmoil. She writes casually and conversationally about her ups and downs and the life lessons she learned. Even recounting decisions that were stupid (quite often) and bad things that happened to her (many), she keeps us on her side, hoping things eventually turn out well. Fans will love the book, of course, but many nonfans, too, should find this painfully candid memoir hard to put down. --June Sawyers

Review

"Society's Child is the hugely readable autobiography of an artist who has lived through success and crushing hardship but knows that 'you can't sing and cry at the same time.' Sing on!"
-O, The Oprah Magazine

"Painfully candid . . . hard to put down."
-Booklist (starred review)

"A juicily entertaining look at an unusual life in show business."
-Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (July 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158542675X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585426751
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't believe I actually wrote a whole book, July 29, 2008

By	Janis Ian "Janis Ian" (Nashville TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Best of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Collection
I'm really amazed, and you wouldn't believe how cool it is to be able to see this book and the CD that goes with it here on Amazon. I tried to write an honest book, and not whine too much (though it was tempting.) I tried to live up to the best of my songwriting, which is hard because I've been writing songs since I was 12, and writing books for a little over a year now.
I can't understand why Amazon keeps pairing the book with "Girls Like Us," which doesn't even mention me, instead of the "Best of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Collecton," which I worked long and hard on. And which also accompanies my own book; they piggy back on each other. Still, it's a thrill every time I look at this page, and I'm happy Amazon exists!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars $1550.00 at Auction and Worth Every Page-turning Penny!!!, July 24, 2008

By	Kathleen A. Brogan (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the long awaited story of the life of Janis Ian. The work spans her entire career as a grammy winning singer, songwriter, musician and author. Janis penned this extraordinarily candid work herself. It begins with her birth, family issues and hardships, her struggles as a teenage star, relationships, friendships with icons like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and ends in Janis' present life, still performing after four decades. She shares rare insights into the writing and recording of her various albums, including songs "Society's Child" and "At Seventeen". She also shares bravely about her too long marriage to a brilliant, yet addicted and abusive ex-husband, and her very happy Canadian marriage to her current partner. An alias is used here and there, but those of us who have followed Janis' career will probably know who everyone is. I had the honor of auctioning a rare galley copy on Ebay (the "Pearl Foundation" getting 100% of the proceeds),with Janis' blessing back in late May, 2008. That paperback, even without the picture insert went for $1550.00. There were 30 bids, with 10 of them well over $1,000.00. You will be wise to add a copy of this stunning book to your Janis Ian, or singer songwriter biography collection! There is also a new 2 cd set that is available. Each song is a book chapter! B001B0H7AY, check it out!!!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Up all night read, July 24, 2008

By	The Lone Reader - See all my reviews

I stayed up all night to read Janis' book. What a life she had! What a life she is still having! From her teens to the present, Janis has shown that talent and guts will keep you in the business. Her story both personally and professionally is told with honesty and she pulls no punches. Ian talks candidly about the music business with all the good and the bad. Anyone who reads her story will be fascinated by an extraordinary woman and her career.